Thanks Oprah, now so have I...

Tell us the title:

She's Come Undone

Who penned this work?:

Wally Lamb

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

I think I saw it recommended in a magazine and then found it at the library

Number of pages:

465

Time passed from start to finish?:

A week or two

Describe the cover:

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Fiction

Summary of the basic plot:

The story follows the journey of a girl from childhood into adulthood.  Along the way, she encounters many heartbreaking an traumatic situations.  I could go into more detail than that, but there's a summary.

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I felt about the same emotional overwhelm while reading this as I felt watching the movie Rachel Getting Married.  It totally stressed me out.  Interestingly enough, I was more impacted by contemplating my stress over this than I was by the story itself. 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Probably the pages with the whales.  That would be the one in the middle of the story because it felt like a transforming moment.  And at the end of the book because it was nice and then it was over.

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

No idea.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

Ummmm...I just spent ten minutes trying to figure this out and I do not know.
I shall continue working on this question.

Choose your rating:

 - Changed. My. Life.

     - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it

    - A definite page-turner
Somewhere Between...

    - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.

and

      - Why did I waste my weekend on this?

     - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"You know anything about tropical fish?"

Family Drama

Tell us the title:

Maine

Who penned this work?:

J. Courtney Sullivan

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

It was given to me by my mother-in-law

Number of pages:

509

Time passed from start to finish?:

a couple weeks, as i mostly only read it on my lunch breaks at work

Describe the cover:

girl relaxing on beach looking off into distance

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

fiction

Summary of the basic plot:

Revolves around four women, a grandmother, her daughter, her granddaughter, and her daughter-in-law. They are an Irish Catholic family, most of the story takes place at the grandmother's beach house in Maine. It is mostly about the interactions of these four very different women and their lives separately, and together.

Background information on the story/author:

I know she's written another best seller called "commencement" and that she lives in NYC, but not much else.

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I enjoyed it.  Although I thought it was funny that my mother-in-law recommended it to me, because they are an irish catholic family and she said it reminded her of her family, and i wondered the whole time "who is she thinking of when she's reading this character?" i didn't care much for the ending, honestly, it seemed to wrap up way too quickly (hard to believe at 509 pages, but i could have used a bit more explanations).

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

ok well i don't have a favorite page but my favorite quote was: "perhaps she underestimated him. He seemed friendly and genuine, though she reminded herself that now would be an especially inconvenient time to fall in love with a Catholic priest."

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

hmm....helen mirren as Alice, jennifer garner as Ann Marie, julia roberts as Kathleen, maybe elizabeth olsen as Maggie, but maybe a little too young.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

ok i already put my favorite funny quote, good enough!

Choose your rating:Changed. My. Life.
I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
A definite page-turner
Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
Why did I waste my weekend on this?
A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"at her first penance at age seven, Maggie had grown so terrified that she blanked on her prepared list of sins (she stole some of chris's halloween candy, she talked back to her mother)." not the best quote, but best out of the three pages!